Jogi movie review: Diljit Dosanjh, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub excel in this emotional thriller on 1984 anti-Sikh riots

Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Hiten Tejwani, Paresh Pahuja, Kumud Mishra, Amyra Dastur, and others

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Duration: 1 hour 56 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3.5 stars

Jogi movie review

In 2014, Kirron Kher played a grieving mother, Satwant Kaur in search of her lost son misjudged as a terrorist, Shivjeet Singh aka Shiva, played by Diljit Dosanjh in Punjab 1984, the National Award-winning film based around the insurgency period in the north Indian state. The Anurag Singh directorial was a heart-wrenching portrayal of how the Sikh community suffered in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar.

Eight years later, Diljit Dosanjh features in and as Jogi, based on the anti-Sikh riots that jolted Delhi after the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The singer-actor delivers an honest performance as Joginder Singh, fondly called Jogi, who undertakes a mission to save his neighbourhood from the national capital burning in the flames of hatred against the Sikh community.

Set in the East Delhi colony of Trilokpuri, the film starts off with Jogi's family planning to celebrate his nephew's birthday on the evening of October 31, 1984. Suddenly, the entire city erupts in riots after the then Prime Minister is shot down by her two Sikh bodyguards. The family suffers a personal tragedy as Jogi's brother-in-law is set ablaze in his shop. Meanwhile, Kumud Mishra as Tejpal Arora, the councillor of the Trilokpuri constituency, wants to exploit the horrific situation for his own political gains.

Tejpal orders the policemen including Rawinder Chautala, played by Mohd Zeeshan Ayub, to make sure that the Sikhs are eliminated from the locality. Instead, Rawinder decides to help his friend Jogi and his family, but the latter wants to save his entire neighbourhood in Gali No. 6, Trilokpuri. The two of them ask their third friend Kaleem Ansari, Paresh Pahuja in his breakthrough performance, for his help. Enters Hiten Tejwani as Lali Katyal, another cop who wants to avenge Jogi for his own personal reasons and makes their mission tough in the ensuing game of cat-and-mouse.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar, known for his blockbuster collaborations with Salman Khan as Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai, and Bharat, keeps you on the edge of your seat in this gripping thriller. The runtime of just around two hours helps the film to a great extent. The screenplay, written by Zafar himself along with actress Sukhmani Sadana, has enough twists and turns to make the audience's interest alive throughout Jogi.

In terms of performances, the leading cast is convincing in their roles. Diljit Dosanjh gives a heartfelt performance, and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub leaves a huge impact through his solid act. Kumud Mishra brings his A-game to his negative role. Hiten Tejwani, famous for his multiple television appearances, manages to surprise with his genuine portrayal of the grey-shaded Lali.

Talking about its negatives, some implausible plot points and repetitive narratives lessen the overall impact. Also, the whole reveal behind Lali's hatred towards Jogi in the pre-climax sequence seems unjustified. Jogi scores well on its thrilling elements, but the emotional parts could have been written better.

The Ali Abbas Zafar directorial must be commended for its take on inter-religious harmony and for demonstrating how friendship, togetherness, and hope win over in troubled times. Diljit Dosanjh starrer Jogi is streaming on Netflix India.

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